The Canadian National Railway's Super Continental departs Toronto's Union Station in 1970 on a westbound service to Vancouver's Waterfront station

Yearly passenger levels on Canada's passenger trains peaked at 60 million during World War II. Following the war the growth of air travel and the personal automobile caused significant loss of mode share for Canada's passenger train operators. By the 1960s it was obvious to both Canadian National Railway (CN) and the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) that passenger trains were no longer economically viable. CP sought to divest itself of its passenger trains, but federal government regulators and politicians balked, forcing them to maintain a minimal service through the 1970s, with the government subsidizing up to 80% of losses. CN, being a Crown corporation at that time, was encouraged by the federal government and political interests to invest in passenger trains. Innovative marketing schemes such as Red, White, and Blue fares, new equipment such as scenic dome cars and rail diesel cars, and services such as Rapido and the UAC TurboTrain trains temporarily increased numbers of passengers, reversing previous declines.[3]:4–5

These increases proved temporary: by 1977 total passenger numbers had dropped below five million. The decline of passenger rail became a federal election issue in 1974 when the government of Pierre Trudeau promised to implement a nationwide carrier similar to Amtrak in the United States. Starting in 1976, CN began branding its passenger services with the bilingual name Via or Via CN. The Via logo began to appear on CN passenger locomotives and cars, while still carrying CN logos as well. That September, Via published a single timetable with information on both CN and CP trains, marking the first time that Canadians could find all major passenger trains in one publication. In 1977, CN underwent a dramatic restructuring when it placed various non-core freight railway activities into separate subsidiaries, such as ferries under CN Marine, and passenger trains under Via Rail which was subsequently renamed Via Rail Canada.[3]:6–9

On January 12, 1977, CN spun off its passenger services as a separate Crown corporation, Via Rail Canada. At its inception, Via acquired all CN passenger cars and locomotives. Following several months of negotiation, on October 29, 1978, Via took over operation of CP passenger train services, and took possession of cars and locomotives. Passenger train services which were not included in the creation of Via Rail included those offered by BC Rail, Algoma Central Railway, Ontario Northland Railway, Quebec North Shore and Labrador Railway, various urban commuter train services operated by CN and CP, and remaining CN passenger services in Newfoundland. At this time, Via did not own any trackage and had to pay right-of-way fees to CN and CP, sometimes being the only user of rural branch lines.[citation needed]

While Via is an independent federal Crown corporation mandated to operate as a business, it is hindered by the fact that it was created by an Order in Council of the Privy Council, and not from legislation passed by Parliament. If Via were enabled by legislation, the company could be permitted to seek funding on the open money markets as other Crown corporations such as CN have done in the past. It is largely for this reason that critics say Via is vulnerable to federal budget cuts and continues to answer first to its political masters, as opposed to the business decisions needed to ensure the viability of intercity passenger rail service.[4][citation needed]

Via also sought to reduce its reliance on over 30-year-old second-hand equipment and placed a significant order with Bombardier Transportation for new high-speed locomotives and cars which would be used in its corridor trains. The LRC (Light, Rapid, Comfortable) locomotives and cars used advanced technology such as active tilt to increase speed, but proved troublesome and took several years to work out problems (by 1990 only a handful of LRC locomotives remained in service which were subsequently retired by the arrival of the GE Genesis locomotives in 2001).[citation needed]

The election of Brian Mulroney's government in 1984 brought a friend to Via, initially, when several of Mulroney's commitments included rescinding the Via cuts of 1981 by restoring the Super Continental (under pressure from his western caucus), and the Atlantic (under pressure from his eastern caucus and the then-Saint John mayor Elsie Wayne). Prime Minister Mulroney's government gave Via funding to refurbish some of its cars, and purchase new locomotives, this time a more reliable model from General Motors Diesel Division.[citation needed]

The Ocean leaves the station at Amherst, Nova Scotia in July 2006 en route to Halifax. The image shows a vintage stainless steel "Park" observation car at the rear of the train. The other cars are newer Renaissance cars introduced by Via in 2003.

By the late 1980s, inflation and other rising costs were taking their toll on federal budgets and in the Mulroney government's 1989 budget, Via again saw its budget slashed, surpassing even the 1981 cuts under Trudeau. Minister of Transport Benoît Bouchard oversaw the reduction in service on January 15, 1990, when Via's operations were reduced by 55%.[citation needed]

The official justification for the rerouting was that the trains would serve more remote communities, but the concentration of ridings held by the Progressive Conservatives along the CN route attracted the charge that the move was chiefly political. Harvie André, one of Alberta's federal cabinet ministers who represented Calgary, stated publicly that he did not care if he never saw a passenger train again in his life.[citation needed]

After these cuts, Via was a much smaller company and immediately took to rationalizing its fleet of cars and locomotives, resulting in a fleet of refurbished stainless steel (HEP-1 and HEP-2 rebuilds, for "head end power") and LRC cars, as well as rationalizing its locomotive fleet with GM and Bombardier (LRC) units.[citation needed]

Via was not spared from further cutbacks in Jean Chrétien's government elected in 1993. Minister of Finance Paul Martin's first budget in 1994 saw further Via cuts which saw the popular Atlantic dropped from the schedule, focusing the eastern transcontinental service on the Ocean. CP had sold off a large portion of the track the Atlantic had operated on and, as Via at that time was only mandated to provide passenger services on tracks belonging to CN or CP, the route was discontinued.[citation needed]

By the late 1990s, with a rail-friendly Minister of Transport, David Collenette, in office, there were modest funding increases to Via. Corridor services were improved with new and faster trains, a weekly tourist train The Bras d'Or returned Via service to Cape Breton Island for the first time since the 1990 cuts, and a commitment was made to continue operating on Vancouver Island, but western Canada continued to languish with the only service provided by the Canadian and a few remote service trains in northern BC and Manitoba.[citation needed]

In a significant new funding program dubbed "Renaissance", a fleet of unused passenger cars which had been built for planned Nightstar sleeper services between locations in the United Kingdom and Continental Europe, via the Channel Tunnel, were purchased and adapted following the cancellation of the Nightstar project. The new "Renaissance" cars were swiftly nicknamed déplaisance ("displeasure") by French-speaking employees and customers, due to early problems adapting the equipment for Canadian use. Doors and toilets froze in cold Atlantic Canada temperatures, resulting in delays and service interruptions.[5] New diesel-electric P42DC locomotives purchased from General Electric allowed the withdrawal of older locomotives, including the remaining LRC locomotives. The LRC passenger cars were retained and continued to provide much of the Corridor service. This expansion to Via's fleet has permitted scheduling flexibility, particularly in the corridor. Additionally, many passenger stations have been remodelled into passenger-friendly destinations, with several hosting co-located transit and regional bus hubs for various municipalities.[citation needed]

On October 24, 2003, federal Minister of Transport David Collenette announced $700 million in new funding over the next five years. This funding was far below the $3 billion needed to implement a high-speed rail proposal in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor nicknamed ViaFast; however, the funding was intended to "provide for faster, more frequent and more reliable passenger service across Canada... [preserving] the option for higher speed rail, such as the Via Fast proposal" said Collenette. This new project was to be called "Renaissance II".[6] Critics[who?] of "Renaissance II" noted that the majority of spending would take place in the corridor services and not add new trains or improved scheduling to Atlantic and Western Canada.

On December 18, 2003, Prime MinisterPaul Martin announced a freeze in federal spending on all major capital projects, including Via's five-year $700 million capital investment 'Renaissance II' program announced just six weeks earlier by outgoing Prime Minister Chrétien's administration. Critics of Martin's cuts claimed that he was in a distinct conflict of interest as his family through Canada Steamship Lines and various subsidiary and affiliated companies had once had a significant investment in the Voyageur Colonial Bus Lines, an intercity bus line in Quebec and eastern Ontario that is a key competitor of Via Rail.[citation needed]

Route cuts under the Martin government included the withdrawal of the seasonal Bras d'Or tourist train, which ran for the last time in September 2004, and the Montreal-Toronto overnight Enterprise, which was discontinued in September 2005. The Sarnia–Chicago International was also discontinued in April 2004 by Amtrak. Via's portion of the route from Toronto-Sarnia remained in operation as Via was able to use their own equipment to operate the train.[citation needed]

The federal Auditor General's report released publicly on February 10, 2004, showed what appeared to be a criminal misdirection of government funds intended for advertising to key Quebec-based supporters of the Liberal Party of Canada. (See sponsorship scandal.) Included in the Auditor General's report was the fact that Via Rail was used as one of several federal government departments, agencies, and Crown corporations to funnel these illicit funds. Forced to act on the Auditor General's report due to its political implications, Prime Minister Paul Martin's government suspended Via Rail President Marc LeFrançois on February 24, 2004, giving him an ultimatum of several days to defend himself against allegations in the report or face further disciplinary action.[citation needed]

Several days later, during LeFrançois's suspension, a former Via Rail marketing department employee, Myriam Bédard, claimed she was fired several years earlier when she questioned company billing practices in dealing with advertising companies. (According to CBC News, an arbitrator's report later concluded that Bédard had voluntarily left Via Rail.) She was publicly belittled by Via Rail Chief Executive Officer Jean Pelletier in national media on February 27, 2004. Pelletier retracted his statements but on March 1, 2004, Pelletier was fired. On March 5, 2004, after failing to defend himself adequately against the allegations in the Auditor General's report, LeFrançois was fired as well.[citation needed]

The reversal of funding in 2003 led to a backlog of deferred maintenance and left Via unable to replace or refurbish life-expired locomotives and rolling stock. Regardless, Via ridership increased from 3.8 million in 2005 to 4.1 million in 2006.[7]

On October 11, 2007, Finance MinisterJim Flaherty announced federal government funding of $691.9 million over five years, of which $519 million is capital funding, and the remainder additional operating funding. The capital funding is earmarked to refurbish Via's fleet of 54 F40PH-2 locomotives to meet new emissions standards and extend their service lives by 15–20 years, refurbish the interiors of the LRC coaches, reduce track capacity bottlenecks and speed restrictions in the Windsor-Quebec City Corridor, and make repairs to a number of stations across the network.[8]

This announcement is similar in content to the previous Renaissance II package, and once again can be criticized for not including any new equipment or funding for services outside the Corridor. Shortly after this announcement was made, documents obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act revealed that delays due to equipment failures had risen by 60% since the previous year. The company attributed this to problems with the aging F40 locomotive fleet.[9]

On January 27, 2009, the Government of Canada announced in its 2009 Economic Action Plan that it would increase funding to Via by $407 million to support improvements to passenger rail services, including higher train frequencies and enhanced on-time performance and speed, particularly in the Montreal-Ottawa-Toronto corridor.[10]

On July 21, 2009, Via Rail announced that its engineers would go on strike as of July 24 if no deal was reached by then, and began cancelling all trains in anticipation of strike. The strike officially began at midnight on July 24 after it became clear that no deal had been reached. Engineers had been without a contract since December 31, 2006. Full service was resumed on July 27, 2009.[11]

A strike by the Canadian Auto Workers union, representing around 2,200 employees, was planned to begin on 4 July 2010, but was called off after the union and Via reached a three-year contract.[12]

On June 27, 2012, Via Rail announced another round of budget cuts to be achieved by reducing service:

The Canadian was reduced from 3 days a week to 2 days a week beginning in November 2012, service will be 2 days a week from November to April during off peak season and returning to 3 per week during peak season from May to October.

The Ocean was reduced from 6 days a week to 3 days a week beginning in October 2012.

Corridor services to Sarnia and Niagara Region were reduced to one per day starting in October 2012, with some cuts starting in July 2012. Sarnia was left with only one train each way per day.[14] Niagara Falls lost all service except the joint Amtrak-Via Maple Leaf service.[15]

Corridor services to Kitchener,[16] London,[17] and Windsor[18] were reduced to fewer trains per day starting in October 2012, though still at least two each way.

In September 2013, the Gaspé service, which had been replaced by bus service sometime in 2011, was suspended indefinitely.[19] Being a suspension rather than a service cut, the route is still listed on Via Rail's website, and will likely be re-instated once track repairs are complete. The Quebec government announced funds for these repairs in 2017, with a completion date stated only as being "several years away."[20]

No service cuts have occurred since 2012, with recent service restorations and improvements in the Quebec-Windsor corridor being implemented. More trips have been added between Ottawa, Montreal, and Toronto, a direct route was restored between Ottawa and Quebec City, and the LRC passenger cars used for the corridor completed refurbishment in 2016, most notably.

In March 2017 Via Rail announced the release of a new category of rail pass valid for the month of July 2017 (corresponding to Canada's sesquicentennial celebrations) for youth aged 18–25, costing $150 (several hundred dollars cheaper than a comparable rail pass would typically cost). Following a larger than expected response, resulting in the loss of functionality for Via's website for a time, Via was forced to cap the number of passes sold at 1,867. This was an about-face from previous explicit promises that the supply was unlimited, and the company received significant backlash.[21]

In 2015, Via announced it was exploring the introduction of daily regional service in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick (connecting Halifax, Moncton, and Campbellton) to complement the thrice-weekly Ocean service to Montreal. In an interview, Via Rail president Yves Desjardins-Siciliano also noted that the subsidy for passenger rail travel in Canada in 2015 was about 200 per cent: for every $1 travellers spend on fares, Canada pays $2 in subsidy.[22] No concrete plans for implementation of local service in the Maritime provinces have emerged since the 2015 announcement.

Via Rail touts its "high-frequency" service plan as the next step for a significant improvement in service in Via's Quebec City–Windsor corridor. As a response to delays faced by sharing tracks with freight trains, the plan opts for a dedicated track between Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal, offering more frequent trains (although running at conventional speeds). Feasibility studies have been funded by the federal government since the 2016 budget, and the 2018 budget allowed for the funding of the fleet replacement portion of the plan, though not the dedicated rail lines.[23]

Via Rail is operated as an independent crown corporation and receives a subsidy from the Minister of Transport to provide service to remote communities. The line item for the subsidy is found is Volume III of the Public Accounts of Canada, and was in 2012 $494 million. Via Rail operates 50 trains per week in and between remote communities in Canada, six trains per week between Montreal and Halifax (3 in each direction), and three trains per week between Toronto and Vancouver. More than 400 trains per week run in the corridor between Windsor and Quebec, including an average of six interprovincially-routed departures or arrivals.[1] The sum of almost $230 million was earned from passenger fares on intercity travel in the Ontario-Quebec corridor.[1] Slightly fewer than four million passenger voyages were taken in 2016.[1] An on-time ratio of 73% was achieved in that year.[1] Over 2,700 persons were employed by Via Rail by the end of 2016.[1]

As of 2016, the Chair of the Board of Directors is Jane Mowat, while the President and CEO is Yves Desjardins-Siciliano; 8 other persons are Directors at the same year.[1] The Annual accounts of Via Rail are audited to GAAP principles by the Auditor-General of Canada, under the Financial Administration Act.[1] Via Rail Canada Inc. is incorporated under the CBCA and is subject to income taxes, should a profit ever be declared by it. Rolling stock, which amounted to $465.6 million in 2016, is amortised over a 20 to 25-year period.[1] The corporation had $9,300,000 in share capital as of 2016.[1] Via Rail also received $353.8 million of government funding in 2016.[1]

In May 2014, Yves Desjardins-Siciliano was appointed as the new CEO of Via Rail. He replaced interim CEO Steve Del Bosco after the Minister of Foreign Affairs, John Baird, publicly called for Del Bosco's resignation.[24]

Travel on Via varies by region as much as class. Many of Via's policies and protocols are the product of running a national train system with varying pressures and needs of different passengers, communities, and contexts. The results are wide-ranging travel experiences depending on the distance and location of the journey.

Economy: Economy class seating in coach cars. Passengers are not always assigned specific seats, and are usually segregated into specific train cars according to passenger destination. Snacks and beverages are sold by employees with service carts or in a Restaurant car. Free Wi-Fi access is provided in the Corridor and on the Ocean.[25] All Corridor trains, with the exception of trains 650 and 651, have assigned seating.[26]

Business (formerly called VIA 1): First-class seating available on most Corridor trains in southern Quebec and Ontario. Business Class offers passengers individually reserved seats, more spacious seating, window blinds, inclusive hot three-course meals complete with complimentary wine and liqueurs, in-seat AC power outlets, and free Wi-Fi access. Business Class passengers are also granted priority boarding and access to Business Lounges at major urban stations.[27]

Touring: Available on the Jasper – Prince Rupert train only in peak travel months. Includes three meals per day, wine with supper, on-train commentary from the staff, and guaranteed access to the Panoramic and Park cars.[28]

Sleeper Plus: Sleeping accommodations aboard overnight trains. This service class was formerly known as Sleeper in some cases, including on the now-suspended Montreal–Gaspé train. Available on the Canadian, Ocean and Winnipeg-Churchill trains. Options for this class on the Canadian include berth sections and single, double and triple bedrooms with bunkbeds and electrical outlets. On other trains, not all options are available. Also included are first-class meals in the dining car, and access to the "Skyline" car and viewing salons in the glass-domed "Park" car, when available. Passengers are also given priority boarding and access to the Panorama Lounges at major urban stations.[29][30] Each car has access to a washroom and, optionally, a shower. Access to Business Lounges where available or the Sleeper Plus lounge in Halifax is available on departure day.

Prestige: Via's latest premium service offering available on the Canadian only. In addition to the Sleeper Plus amenities, includes modernized luxurious sleeping accommodations at the rear of the train, priority reservations in the dining car, a concierge, complimentary beverages (including alcohol), and schedule permitting, a free tour of select Winnipeg attractions. Access to Business Lounges is provided on both arrival and departure days in Toronto and Vancouver.

Smoking is prohibited on all Via trains. It has been banned on the Corridor routes since 1993[31] and this policy was gradually extended to all trains. The last remaining on-board smoking was permitted in a smoker's lounge on some long-distance routes, only at certain times of day/night until 2002.[32] Washrooms are provided for each car. On sleeper cars, every private room has its own separate washroom. Food service varies by train. All trains save the Sudbury – White River train offer snacks, light meals, and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages for purchase. Long-distance trains offer traditional sit-down dining and full meals to sleeper class passengers. Economy class passengers can purchase hot take-out meals prepared in the dining car on long-distance trains during the peak season, and eat in the sit-down dining car in the off-peak.[33]

There is complimentary Wi-Fi service available in the Corridor. The present Wi-Fi system is provided by 21Net since November 2008. Previously, the Wi-Fi service was provided by Parsons commencing in February 2006. Via had upgraded the past Wi-Fi system during 2011 with technology provided by Nomad Digital.[34][35][36] Via Rail was the first North American transportation service to offer Wi-Fi to its passengers in early 2006, and was one of the first in the world to do so. Wi-Fi is also available to travellers in all classes of service who may benefit from complimentary Wi-Fi service in many Quebec City-Windsor corridor stations. WiFi service has been added to "The Ocean" train (Montreal – Halifax) in the "service" cars, and was recently announced for the Toronto-Vancouver "The Canadian".[37]

Via offers checked luggage on its longer-haul services; however, in the Corridor only certain trains have luggage cars. In older class cars there is sufficient space at the front of the car for luggage storage. In contrast, the Renaissance stock has enough space (underneath the seat) for only one small piece of carry-on luggage; the remainder must be checked.[38]

Via offers pre-boarding assistance to those passengers requiring extra time to board its trains. Not all stations are equally accessible; some have high-level platforms or mechanical lifts. All Via trains are capable of accommodating wheelchairs, although capacity is limited.[39]

Via Rail also has agreements with several public transit agencies, intercity bus operators, and airlines. Passengers who are flying with these airlines can combine their air and rail trips under the same record locator:[41]

In 2010, Via's carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent emissions per passenger kilometre were 0.117 kg.[42] For comparison, this is similar to Amtrak or a car with two people,[43] about twice as high as the UK rail average,[44] about four times the average US motorcoach,[45] and about eight times a Finnish electric intercity train or fully loaded fifty-seat coach.[46]

On November 20, 1994, at approximately 18:20 eastern standard time, Via train No. 66 travelling eastward at approximately 96 mph, struck a piece of rail intentionally placed on the track at Mile 242.07 of the CN North America (CN) Kingston Subdivision, in Brighton, Ontario. A fire erupted and the trailing portion of the locomotive and the first two-passenger cars behind the locomotive became engulfed in flames. Forty-six of the 385 passengers were injured, most while exiting the train in life-threatening conditions. 2 local residents were charged and convicted after an investigation by the local police.[47]

On September 3, 1997, the Canadian as Train 2 from Vancouver to Toronto, travelling eastward at 67 mph, derailed at Mile 7.5 of the Canadian National Wainwright Subdivision, near Biggar, Saskatchewan. Thirteen of nineteen cars and the two locomotives derailed. Seventy-nine of the 198 passengers and crew on board were injured, 1 fatally and 13 seriously. Approximately 600 feet of main track was destroyed.[48] The cause was determined to be an axle bearing failure which was detected but erroneously ignored. Via was heavily criticized for a lack of attention to safety.

On April 23, 1999, Via Rail Train No. 74 travelling eastward at Mile 46.7 on the Canadian National Chatham Subdivision in Thamesville, Ontario derailed after a switch was left open by a CN worker causing the train to jump the tracks and collide with stationary hoppers on the adjacent track, derailing the locomotive and its 4-passenger cars. The 2 engineers were killed and 77 of the 186 passengers injured, 4 seriously. Approximately 50 m of the main track and 100 m of the yard track were destroyed.[49]

On April 12, 2001, the Ocean train originating at Halifax destined for Montréal derailed at a manually operated main track switch in Stewiacke, Nova Scotia. A standard Canadian National (CN) switch lock used to secure the switch in correct position had been tampered with. The two locomotives and the first two cars continued on the main track, but the following cars took a diverging route onto an industrial track adjacent to the main track. Nine of the cars derailed and a farm supply building, as well as the industrial track were destroyed. Four occupants of the building escaped without injury prior to impact. There were 132 persons on board the train. Twenty-two persons were transported to hospital in either Truro or Halifax. Nine were seriously injured.[50] A 15-year-old boy pleaded guilty to the charge of mischief endangering life relating to the lock tampering.[51]

On February 26, 2012, Via Rail train 92 en route from Niagara Falls to Toronto, derailed in Burlington, Ontario, killing all three railroad engineers and injuring 46 (3 seriously). The cause of the derailment is attributed to the excessive speed of the train travelling through a switch from track 2 to track 3.

On September 18, 2013, a collision occurred between Train 51 and a double-decker OC Transpo bus that failed to stop at a level crossing in Ottawa, Ontario. Six people were killed and 31 injured (11 critically), all of whom were on the bus. The impact resulted in the train derailing approximately 100–200 feet (30–61 m) down the track.[56]